Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A suicide bomber backed by a group of gunmen rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post after troops signaled for it to stop in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold in northwestern Pakistan, causing part of the compound to collapse and killing 11 soldiers and a child, the military and police said Tuesday. The military said in a statement that the attackers overnight had sought to breach the checkpoint but were thwarted by security forces. It said troops later pursued and killed 12 "khawarij," a term authorities use for the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Bangladesh' s new prime minister was sworn in on Tuesday after his party's landslide win in parliamentary elections last week, the country's first since the massive 2024 uprising and a vote billed as key to the nation's future political landscape after years of intense rivalry and disputed polls. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, whose term will last for five years, is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman. He is also Bangladesh's first male prime minister in 35 years. Since 1991, when Bangladesh returned to democracy, either Rahman's mother or her archrival Sheikh Hasina had served as prime ministers.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The United States plans to deploy more high-tech missile systems to the Philippines to help deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on Tuesday condemned what they called China's "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities." Beijing has repeatedly expressed alarm over the installation in the northern Philippines of a U.S. mid-range missile system called the Typhon in 2024 and of an anti-ship missile launcher last year. It said the U.S. weapons were aimed at containing China's rise and warned that these were a threat to regional stability. China has asked the Philippines to withdraw the missile launchers from its territory, but officials led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

BEIJING (AP) - Traditional prayers, fireworks and fairs marked the Lunar New Year on Tuesday - alongside 21st-century humanoid robots. The activities ushered in the Year of the Horse, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, succeeding the Year of the Snake. Thousands of people in Beijing jammed into the former Temple of Earth to buy snacks, toys and trinkets from stalls. Sun Jing, who brought her parents to the capital for the holiday, said the atmosphere was as lively as in her childhood. "I haven't felt such a strong sense of Lunar New Year festivity in a very, very long time," she said.

People are celebrating the Lunar New Year on Tuesday, the day that starts the Year of the Horse. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - The Australian government will not repatriate from Syria a group of 34 women and children with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State group, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday. The women and children from 11 families were supposed to fly from Syria to Australia, but Syrian authorities on Monday turned them back to Roj detention camp because of procedural problems, officials said. Only two groups of Australians have been repatriated with government help from Syrian camps since the fall of the Islamic State group in 2019. Other Australians have also returned without government assistance. Albanese would not comment on a report that the latest women and children had Australian passports.

BANGKOK (AP) - Japan wants to ship carbon emissions to Malaysia in a first-of-its-kind project in Southeast Asia for carbon capture and storage, a widely debated process that critics say is more symbolic than effective in curbing climate change. Despite such doubts, Malaysia is positioning itself as Southeast Asia's hub for the alternative technology, a three-step process that captures, transports and buries carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change. With about 81% of Malaysia's electricity generated from fossil fuels, climate activists say carbon capture is an expensive distraction from proven emissions-reducing actions such as transitioning to renewable energy. Japan, one of the world's top carbon emitters, plans to ship emissions from its heavily polluting industries - spanning electric power, oil refining, cement, shipping and steel - to Malaysia within the next few years.

NEW DELHI (AP) - India is hoping to garner as much as $200 billion in investments for data centers over the next few years as it scales up its ambitions to become a hub for artificial intelligence, the country's minister for electronics and information technology said Tuesday. The investments underscore the reliance of tech titans on India as a key technology and talent base in the global race for AI dominance. For New Delhi, they bring in high-value infrastructure and foreign capital at a scale that can accelerate its digital transformation ambitions. The push comes as governments worldwide race to harness AI's economic potential while grappling with job disruption, regulation and the growing concentration of computing power in a few rich countries and companies.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lankan legislators overwhelmingly voted on Tuesday to scrap their pensions, in a bid to fulfil a key pre-election campaign promise by the ruling Marxist-leaning government following anger over the country's economic crisis. Lawmakers passed the bill on Tuesday by 154 votes in the 225-member House, with only two against. The remaining legislators were not present during the vote. In Sri Lanka, a lawmaker was previously entitled to a pension after serving a five-year term. The new law stops payments to anyone who already receives, or qualifies for, the pension. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, voted into office in 2024, pledged to end the practice during his election campaign.

NEW DELHI (AP) - French President Emmanuel Macron met with India's Prime Minster Narendra Modi on Tuesday for bilateral talks aimed at deepening economic and strategic ties as the two countries seek closer cooperation amid global uncertainty and shifting geopolitical alignments. The meeting in India's financial capital, Mumbai, underscored the growing importance of the partnership, which has expanded from defense to trade, technology and energy, with Paris positioning itself as one of New Delhi's most reliable European partners. "India-France partnership knows no boundary. In today's era of uncertainties, this partnership is a force for global stability and progress," Modi said during a joint news conference with Macron.